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Airports in Kolkata

Overview

Formerly known as simply Dum Dum Airport, Kolkata's main airport
is now saddled with the long-winded name Kolkata Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose International Airport (but locals refer to it as just
Kolkata Airport).

The airport is located 11 miles (17km) outside of downtown
Kolkata, and is a basic facility with only a few shops and
restaurants to keep passengers entertained. The real fun at Kolkata
Airport is to be had in people-watching, with a diverse mix of
eastern and western passengers running about the terminal.
Passengers may also stroll around and admire the writings of Nobel
laureate Rabindranath Tagore, which are inscribed on the walls of
the terminal.

Seeing nearly 10 million passengers each year, the airport tends
to be a bit crowded, however renovations are underway, along with
the addition of a fourth terminal that will hopefully relieve the
congestion.

Location

The airport is located 17km (11 miles), or 60 minutes drive, from the city centre

Getting to the city

Train: NSCBI Airport is linked to the Kolkata Suburban Railway
system via the junction at nearby Dum Dum, three miles (5km) away.
Trains leave for surrounding areas every 10- 15 minutes at peak
times and every hour off-peak. There is a station at the airport
itself, but as trains run infrequently, it might be quicker and
easier to take a taxi to the station at Dum Dum and move on from
there. From Dum Dum, you can also catch the underground Kolkata
Metro train to surrounding areas.

Taxi: The airport offers a pre-paid car hailing service, whereby
metered yellow cabs, Radio cabs, Mega cabs and Kolkata cabs can be
availed on your behalf. A trip to the city takes 30- 40 minutes at
best and up to two hours in heavy traffic. It'll cost about INR 400
to get into town.

Bus: Air-conditioned Volvo buses travel between the airport and
city every 10- 15 minutes from early morning to around 10pm. They
also travel to the station at Dum Dum.

Time

Local time is UTC/GMT +5.5 hours

Contacts

Kolkata Airport Taxis: the taxi fares above are intended as a guideline only.

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